Sound-box for talking-machines.



' No. 856,326. PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

E. H. MORLEY.

SOUND BOX FOR TALKING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNIB Q. 1905.

20am i i/Z0525 EDWIN H. MOBLEY, or RUTLEDGE, PENNSYLVANIA;

SOUND-BOX FOR TALKlNG-MAOHiNES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed June 1905. Serial No. 264,465.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. MonLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Rutledge, Pennsylvania, have invented= certain Improvements in Sound-Boxes for Talking- Machines, of which the following is a specihcation. 7

The object of my invention is to so construct a sound box for talking machines to insure a good reproduction of the record, to vary the area of outlet from the chamber bencath the diaphragm to accord with thecharacter of the record which is being reproduced, and to permit ready access to the stylusfleverior the purpose of removing and replacing the stylus. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, is a transverse section of a sound box for talking machines constructed in accordance with myinvention Fig. 2, is a front view of the same with the diaphragm and stylus lever removed; Fig. 3, is a front view of the stylus lever mounting; Fig. 4, is a transverse section on the line aa, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, is a view illustrating a'special form of stylus lever mounting; and Fig. 6, is a view illustrating a modification of one of the features of the invention.

1 represents the cup-shaped sound box casing having at the back a tubular neck 2, which is rotatably mounted in the tubular sleeve 3, the latter being intended to carry the horn,- or other sound conveying or amplifying device, and being supported in any available manner, so as to maintain the sound box in its proper relation to the rotating late or table which carries the disk record.

The neck 2 has a flange 40 to which the sound box casing is secured by screws or otherwise, so that said sound box can be readily applied to or removed from the support provided by the neck 2 and the sleeve 3 in. which it is mounted, whereby dilferent styles of sound boxes can be used in connection with the same machine, the change from one sound box to another, simply requiring the manipulation of a few screws and being therefore, readily eifceted.

The mouth of the sound box casing is closed by'a diaphragm 4, the edge of which is confined between rings 5- vof rubber or other elastic or semi-elastic material, the innermost of these rings resting upon an annular shoulder in the sound box casing, and the outer ring casing in any acceptable way,-

present instance.

Bearing centrally upon the outer face of. the diaphragm 4 is the inner end of the stylus lever 9, which is pivotally mounted upon a projecting bracket 10 on the sound box easbeing confined by an annular follower 6, which is secured to the sound box. confining. screws 7 being used for this purpose in the ing 1, the method of pivoting shown in Figs.

1 and 3 11, which are adapted to threaded openings in cars on the bracket 10 and engage with conical recesses in the opposite sides of the stylus lever, as shown in Fig. 3. f e

In the underside of the stylus lever, at a being by means of pointed pivot pins point outwardly beyond the pivotal'axis of.

the same, isia recess which receives the axis ally projecting upper end of a wire forming a. coiled spring 12, whose base rests uponthe; inner end of a screw plug 13, which is adapted to a threaded opening 1n 3. boss on the. bracket 10, so that, by the adjustment of.

this screw 13,.the tension of the coiled spring 12 may be increased or diminished, and the degree of pressure exerted thereby upon the,

stylus leverniay be correspondingly reg-u:

lated.

The diaphragm 4 1s annular-1y ribbed and has a relatively thin outer section so as to impart to it a degree of resiliency not p'o s sessed by a fiat diaphragm of uniform thickness and it has a normal tendency to press outward against the inner end of the stylus I lever'9, which tendency is resisted by the pressure of the spring 12, upon the outer arm of said stylus ever, hence both the lever and the diaphragm are constantly maintained in a condition of tension and better results are produced in the reproduction of sound, than if either of these parts was inert.

The provision of the coiled spring 12 with A an axially projecting least possible amount of interference wlth the vibrations ol' the stylus lever, since the portion insures the' contact of the spring with. said lever is limitcd to the bearing thereupon of the'fine Wire constituting the axial projection; of the spring, which may, if desired, be sharpened to a point, hence the character of the reproduction caused by the vibrations in the diaphragm under the action. of the stylus lever is not affected as it would be by the contact of a metallic body of large area with the underside of the lever.

The stylus 14 is adapted to a socket in the outer end. of the stylus lever and is secured therein by a set screw 15, as usual, and in order to permit of ready access to said outer end of the stylus lever for the purpose of removing and replacing said stylus, the entire sound box can be rotated by turning the neck 2 of the same in the tubular support 3, so as to raise that ortion of-the sound box to which the stylus l eiver is pivoted, and carry the same away fromthe rota-table record holding disk, the pin 16, on themeck 2 being adapted to a segmental slot 17 in the tubular support 3, so as to limit both the upward and downward swinging movement of the sound box and insure the stoppage of the downward movement when the stylus lever bears its proper relation to the rotating recordcarrying disk.

In instruments of the better class it is important to provide some means of regulating the area of outlet from the chamber 19 behind the diaphragm 4 to' accord with the character of the record which is being reproduced, some records requiring larger apertures than others for the attainment of the best results in reproduction.

In order to accomplish such regulation I locate in the chamber 19 a pair of swinging diaphragms 20 and 21 pivotedto the back of the sound box at 22 and connected by links 23 to a screw stem 24, which asses through an opening in the annular wall of the sound box and has, on the outside of the latter, a nut 25.

Each of the diaphragms 20 and 21 has therein an aperture 26, and, when the diaphragms have-been swung outward to their ill extent, as shown in Fig. 2, these apertures coincide with each' other and are concentric with the bore of the tubular neck 2 of the sound box, as there shown, but if the .nut 25 is slackened and the screw stem 24 pushed inwardly the diaphragms 20 and 21 will be caused to swing upon their pivot in the directions of the arrows shown in Fig. 2, so as to carry their apertures out of line with each other and gradually decrease the area of opening provided thereby, the opening being fully closed before each diaphragm reaches the limit of its movement in the direction of its arrow.

, When the aperture is fully closedI provide for the application of a damper to the dia phragm 4'so as to arrest or retard the Vibrations of the same, such result being effected by mounting upon the diaphragm 20 a damper block 27 which, when the apertures 26in the diaphragm are fully closed, is beneath the central portion of the diaphragm 4' and can be caused to bear'against the same by the action of a wedge block 29 carried by against the'inner side through a slot in the the diaphragm 21, this wedge block acting upon the underside of the diaphragm 20 at the edge of the aperture 26 therein, and imparting a slight lift to said diaphragm sulficient to cause its damper block 27 to press of .the diaphragm 4.

Instead of swinging diaphragms of the character described, a diaphragm of the Iris type, or a rotating diaphragm having a series of apertures of difi'erent diameters, such as frequently employed in connection with photographic lenses may be used. Such a rotating diaphragm is shown at 30, in Fig. 6, a portion of the diaphragm projecting annular wall of the sound. box so as to permit it to be readily n1anipulated to bring any one of its apertures into line axially with the bore of the neck 2, a spring being employed to prevent accidental move ment of the diaphragm out of its adjusted position. In both forms, however, the means for varying the area of the outlet lead-. ing from the sound box cated relatively to said outlet and are ada ted to vary the area of said outlet coaxially therewith.

In that form of mounting for the stylus lever shown in Fig. 5, a pin 32 passes through the stylus lever and is secured thereto by a set screw 33, one end of this pin being pointed and adapted to bear upon the inner face of the head of a set screw 34-carried by the outermost of a pair of ears 35 atone side of the bracket 10, and the other end portion of the pin fitting snugly but so as to rotate freely in a pair of cars 36 at the opposite side of said pin, the weight of the stylus lever and its appurtenances being, in this case, borne mainly by the head of the set screw 34, and the bearings of the pin 32 in the innerear 35 and in the ears 36 being mainly to steady the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of the sound box casing having a resilient diaphragm normally tending to press outwardly toward the stylus lever, a pivoted stylus lever against which said diaphragm exerts an outward pressure, and a spring acting upon the'stylus lever, so as to exert thereu on a pressure in opposition to that of the diaphragm, substantially as 2. .The combination of the sound box casing and its diaphragm, a stylus lever pivoted to sa1d sound box casing, and a spring having 31, or other suitable catch or retainer,

are permanently lo- 4. In a sound box for talking machines, a diaphragm made in one piece having annular stiffening ribs, and formed with a relatigely thinner portion between the two outer 5. The combination, 111 a sound box for inner end of saidtube, co-incidently with the axis of said tube. a

6. The combination, in a sound box for talking machines, of the diaphragm, a casing supporting said diaphragm and having a ro ecting sound-carrying tube Whose axial ine is in the same direction as that of the diaphragm, and an externally accessible and adjustable supplementary diaphragm structhe rear of the main diavary, co-incidently ture located 1n phragm and serving to with the axis of said tube,

passage through the latter.

he combination of the sound box cas ing and its main diaphragm, with a pair of 5' so as to cause eao swinging diaphragms located in the chamber behind said main diaphragm, and each having an aperture therein and means for swinging each diaphragm upon its pivot so that it will gradually overlap and close the aperture in the other diaphragm.

8. The combination of the sound box casing and its main diaphragm, with a pair of diaphragms pivotally mounted in the chamber behind said main diaphragm and having apertures which, when said diaphragms are in one extreme position, are in line with each other and with the bore of the outlet neck of the sound box casing, and means for swinging said diaphragms upon their pivot to gradually overlap the gpgrture in the other, substantially as specie 9. The combination of the sound box casing and its diaphragm, a damper for the latter, I

the area of the and means, operating in the chamber behind saiddiaphragm, for varyingithe: area of the outlet from said chamber and for forcing the damper into contact with the diaphragm, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, ofthe sound box casing and its diaphragm, a damper for the,

latter, and means operating in the chamber behind said diaphragm for gradually lessening the area of outlet from said chamber and for forcing the damper into contact with the diaphragm when such outlet is closed, substantially as specified.

11. The combination of the sound box casing and its main diaphragm, with a pair of apertured diaphragms pivoted in the chamber behind said main diaphragm, one of said pivoted diaphragms being provided with a damper, block, and the other serving, when the diaphragms are moved so as to close their apertures, to cause said damper block to be pressed against. the said main diaphragm, substantially as specified.

12. The combination of the sound box and its diaphragm, the stylus lever bearing upon said diaphragm and a ivot pin carried by said stylus lever, and aving a bearin in the sound box casing on one'side of said lever, and a conical end resting upon a supporting bearing on the other side of said lever, substantially as specified.

13. The combination of the sound box casing and its diaphragm withthe stylus lever bearing upon said diaphragm and car- I rying a pivot pin which has on one side of the lever a bearing in which it can turn, and on the other side of the lever a conical end resting upon a supporting bearing, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN H. MOBLEY.

Jos. H. KLEIN. 

